After living in the South Plains of Texas for thirty years and after buying and selling a variety of vacation homes, Dan and I decided that we were finally ready for the final stop on our great ride together: The Texas Hill Country. But it was 2021, deep in the COVID real estate era, when practically nothing was for sale.
So, after a day or two of looking at the slim pickin’s, there must have been a wee bit of pixie dust involved, because our realtor called to tell us that an elderly neighbor of his had called him that morning to say that he was ready to sell.
Pulling into the ranch off the highway, we were immediately greeted with trees. A lot of trees. Pecan, Live Oak, Post Oak, Cedar Elm. The region was in the middle of a drought, but the creek that wound alongside the road had water in it, which meant that it was spring-fed.
Past the tree lined drive, were two open pastures of Bermuda grass. A drive between the pastures and up the hill, was a mesa, covered by a grove of ancient Post Oaks…And a 360 degree view of rolling Texas Hill Country.
Off the main ranch road, over a low water bridge, on the other side of the creek, was a lane completely canopied in trees, and that led to anther hay field on the other side. Hay could be our “ag exemption” product to begin with, but I was already dreaming about honey bees, chickens and vegetables.
We were an hour from Austin, an hour from San Antonio, and ten minutes from the charming hamlet of Johnson City and The Texas Wine Country.
Over the years we have owned several properties in very harsh climates, and have learned many lessons from each: Lantana plants will live through anything, including deer in drought. The roots of a fallen tree often put off a strong baby tree that will eventually replace its parent. Weeds aren’t necessarily weeds if that’s the only thing that will grow there. Sometimes it will never rain. Sometimes it will only rain. Hail can be as large as golf balls. Wildflower seeds can hide for decades until the perfect conditions arise. Bluebonnets are our state flower for a reason, they are hardy enough to withstand all of the above. Live Oak trees lose their leaves when everything else needs to be done in the garden. Stickers come with construction work and are impossible to get rid of unless they are regularly mowed. Same with dandelions. Prickly Pear will quit making spines if they are overwatered and they make beautiful flowers. Natural grasses can be spread by harvesting their seeds and then scattering them in another area. Mesquite trees cannot be killed. Period. Cedar trees are harmful for a wide variety of reasons, but can be removed by cutting them down. However they can provide a wind and sound barrier and a habitat for wildlife. When removed, they leave a residue where many plants don’t like to grow for the foreseeable future. Deer don’t prefer to eat plants that have a flavor, but in a drought, all bets are off.
Katrina Roses and Knock-out Roses are easy-peasy. Russian Sage is tough as a boot and can serve as a more durable “lavender” plant. Hollyhocks, Iris, Sage, Wisteria, Lilac and Red Bud, Desert Willow and Vitex trees are flowering plants that can withstand the severe temperature and water extremities of West Texas and New Mexico.
And so on and so on. We were ready for another new challenge.
Needless to say, with the market being as tight as it was, we snapped this little corner of earth up on the spot. And so far, we have removed water-hogging cedar, in hopes that the creek water level will rise and to protect our beloved Live Oaks in the case of wild fire. We have lovingly pruned many of the trees and cut a walking path along the creek. Last year’s drought ended and was followed by lots of spring rain and abundant wildflowers. (See picture above) This year, the drought conditions have returned, so we threw out Bluebonnet seeds, because they are so very hardy, and as any Texan will tell you, you can never, ever have enough bluebonnets. 🙂